Classis Pontica

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Classis Pontica
Praefectus classis

The Classis Pontica was a provincialis fleet, established initially by Augustus and then by Nero on a permanent basis (around 57). It was tasked with guarding the southern Pontus Euxinus, coordinating with the neighboring fleet of Mesia, the Classis Flavia Moesica.

History

Established by Augustus in 14 BCE, it did not operate permanently until the

Pontus Euxinus (today's Black Sea
): the Classis Pontica.

During the

Caucasian Iberia, turning himself into a fearsome pirate. And so a new fleet was built by the Romans, who eventually succeeded in suppressing the revolt.[3]

During the period called the

Asia Minor, after commandeering numerous vessels from the Cimmerian Bosporus, an ally of Rome. The first to seize these vessels, however, were the Borans, who, traveling along the eastern coast of the Black Sea, pushed on to the very edge of the Roman Empire, near the city of Pityus, which fortunately for it had a very solid walled enclosure and a well-equipped harbor. Here they were repulsed thanks to vigorous resistance on the part of the local population, organized for the occasion by the then governor Successianus.[4]

The Goths, on the other hand, having departed with their ships from the Crimean peninsula, reached the mouth of the

Trapezounta, succeeding in occupying this important city as well, which was protected by a double wall and several thousand soldiers, as Zosimus
relates:

Sasanids of Shapur I, from the years 252-256, during the reign of Valerian and Gallienus
.

The Goths, as soon as they noticed that the soldiers inside the walls were lazy and drunken and did not even go up along the walkways of the walls, pulled over a few logs to the wall, where it was possible, and in the middle of the night, went up in small groups and conquered the city. [...] The barbarians seized great wealth and a large number of prisoners [...] and after destroying the temples, buildings and all that was beautiful and magnificent, they returned home with many ships.

— Zosimus, New History, I, 33.

Loaded by now with huge spoils, on their way back they also sacked the city of

Panticapaeum, in present-day Crimea, disrupting the grain supplies needed by the Romans in that region.[7] The situation was so serious that Gallienus was forced to rush along the Danubian borders to reorganize his forces after this devastating invasion, as an inscription from the legionary fortress of Viminacium would testify.[8]

The following year, in 256, a new invasion of Goths traveled along the

Derkos) west of Byzantium.[9] From here they continued as far as below the walls of Chalcedon. The city was plundered of all its great riches, although, as Zosimus reports, the garrison outnumbered the Goth assailants.[10][11] Many other important cities of Bithynia, such as Prusa, Apamea and Cius were sacked by the Gothic armies, while Nicomedia and Nicaea were set on fire.[12]

Ten years after the first major invasion, in late 267-early 268,

Pontus Euxinus and the Aegean Sea.[14][15]

The invasion of the Gothic peoples of 267/268-270 during the reigns of Gallienus and Claudius Gothicus. In green color the Palmyrene Empire of Zenobia and Vaballathus.

The

Peucini, Greuthungi, Ostrogoths, Thervingi, Visigoths, Gepids, Celts and Heruli, lured by the hope of loot, came to Roman soil and wrought great devastation here, while Claudius was engaged in other actions (against the Alamanni, ed. ..). Three hundred and twenty thousand armed men were fielded from the different populations[16]... as well as having two thousand ships (six thousand according to Zosimus[14]), i.e. twice the number used by the Greeks... when they undertook the conquest of the cities of Asia (the Trojan War, ed.)

— Historia Augusta
- Life of Claudius, 6.2-8.1.

Ports

The main port of the Classis Pontica was placed at

Trapezous (today's Trabzon in Turkey) after the annexation of Pontus around 63 B.C.,[17] used for patrolling especially the eastern part of the Black Sea. This was where the fleet of Mucianus was concentrated in 69, before traveling to Illyricum and then to Italy during the civil war of those years.[17] And also from this port Arrian departed on patrol of the eastern coast of Pontus Euxinus.[18] In addition, some vexillationes of legions XII Fulminata and XV Apollinaris may belong to this period as well.[19] From the Tetrarchic period an entire Roman legion, Legio I Pontica, was installed here for greater protection of the coast.[1]

Another important military base of the fleet, protecting the western part of the Black Sea and the straits of the Dardanelles, was Cyzicus, which had a number of vessels in Caesar's time.[20] Marcus Junius Brutus gathered a fleet there,[21] while Strabo claimed there were more than two hundred bays.[22] The fleet of Septimius Severus was stationed there before the decisive clash against his rival Pescennius Niger in 193.[23] A fleet was also present there in 218.[24] The port was still reported to have been fortified to protect the fleet in 365.[25]

Types of vessels

The Classis Pontica used ships belonging to the previous

kingdom of Thrace (annexed in 46 by Claudius).[26]

Troop corps

For the

Pontus Euxinus,[27] pertaining to the equestrian order
. In his turn the direct subordinate of the praefectus was a sub praefectus, who in turn was accompanied by a series of praepositi, officers placed in charge of each patrol by individual locality.

Other officers were the Navarchus princeps,[28] which would correspond to the rank of rear admiral today. In the 3rd century the Tribunus classis was created with the functions of the Navarchus princeps, later tribunus liburnarum.

A single ship was commanded by a trierarchus (officer), oarsmen and a centuria of sailor-combatants (manipulares / milites liburnarii). The fleet staff (Classiari or Classici) was therefore divided into two groups: the sailors and the soldiers. Service lasted 26 years[29] (as opposed to 20 for the legionaries and 25 for the auxilia). From the third century it was increased to 28 years of service. At the time of discharge (Honesta missio) sailors were given a settlement, land and usually also granted citizenship, as they were in the condition of peregrini at the time of enlistment.[30] Marriage, on the other hand, was allowed to them only at the end of permanent active service.[30] Below are some notable praefecti classis:

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c CIL III, 236.
  2. ^ Tacitus, Histories, II, 12.
  3. ^ a b Webster (1998, p. 164)
  4. ^ Zosimus, New History, I.32.1.
  5. ^ A. Room, Placenames of the World: Origins and Meanings of the Names for 6,600 Countries, Cities, Territories, Natural Features and Historic Sites, p. 361; Jeorgios Martin Beyer, Gregorios Thaumaturgos und die pontischen Beutezuge der Boran und Goten im 3.Jh.n.Chr., in 18th International Congress of Roman Frontier Studies, edited by P.Freeman, J.Bennett, Z.T.Fiema e B.Hoffmann, Oxford 2002, p. 327-338.
  6. ^ Zosimus, New History, I, 32.2-3.
  7. ^ Grant (1984, pp. 224–225); Southern (2015, p. 223)
  8. ^ Southern (2015, p. 216)
  9. ^ Southern (2015, p. 223)
  10. ^ Jordanes, De origine actibusque Getarum, XIX.
  11. ^ Zosimus, New History, I, 34.
  12. ^ Zosimus, New History, I, 35; Mazzarino (1976, pp. 526–527); Grant (1984, pp. 223–224)
  13. ^ Southern (2015, p. 224)
  14. ^ a b Zosimus, New History, I, 42.1.
  15. ^ Grant (1984, pp. 231–232)
  16. ^ Eutropius (in Breviarium ab urbe condita, 9, 8) also speaks of three hundred and twenty thousand armed men; cf. Mazarin, p. 560.
  17. ^ a b Tacitus, Historiae, III, 47.
  18. ^ Arrian, Periplus Ponti Euxini, 1.
  19. ^ CIL III, 6745, CIL III, 6747, AE 1975, 783.
  20. CIG
    3668.
  21. ^ Plutarch, Life of Brutus, 28.
  22. ^ Strabo, Geography, XII, 8.11.
  23. ^ Herodian, History of the empire after Marcus Aurelius, III, 2.
  24. ^ Cassius Dio, Roman History, LXXX, 7.3.
  25. ^ Ammianus Marcellinus, Histories, XXVI, 8.8.
  26. ^ Milan (1993, p. 118, XII)
  27. ^ AE 1968, 497; CIL VI, 1643 (p 3163, 4724).
  28. ^ CIL XI, 86.
  29. ^ AEA 2009, 19.
  30. ^ a b CIL XVI, 1.
  31. ^ AE 1972, 573.
  32. ^ CIL VI, 41271.

Bibliography

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